Enchante Journals, Volume 4 (book) - Revision history

CARAAMON at 23:38, 9 January 2013

2013-01-09T23:38:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:38, 9 January 2013
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	"Enchante Journals."		"Enchante Journals."

	In this endeavor, this vast undertaking, I have been		In this endeavor, this vast undertaking, I have been
	aided by the following noble Bards: Hildart Sverul,		aided by the following noble Bards: [[Hildart\|Hildart Sverul]],
	craftsman of Hibarnhvidar and master of the Dwarven		craftsman of Hibarnhvidar and master of the Dwarven
	epics; Nereeth Gethaelt, wandering singer and		epics; [[Nereeth\|Nereeth Gethaelt]], wandering singer and
	performer and entertainer of children; Endirek		performer and entertainer of children; [[Endirek\|Endirek Chydaku]], of the Order of Kalodi. In this volume of
	Chydaku, of the Order of Kalodi. In this volume of
	our chronicles, we look at the Bards of the Velakan		our chronicles, we look at the Bards of the Velakan
	Desert, and the fallen city of HighHold -- two places		Desert, and the fallen city of HighHold -- two places

CARAAMON at 07:04, 11 November 2011

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	By my hand,<br>		By my hand,<br>
	[[Elesigis Arilafrei]]		[[Elesigis Arilafrei]]
			{{Cat\|Book}}[[page type is::book\| ]]
	[[Category:Book]]

CARAAMON: moved Enchante Journals, The, Volume 4 (book) to Enchante Journals, Volume 4 (book)

2011-03-17T21:28:08Z

moved Enchante Journals, The, Volume 4 (book) to Enchante Journals, Volume 4 (book)

← Older revision	Revision as of 16:28, 17 March 2011
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CARAAMON: The Enchante Journals, Volume 4 (book) moved to Enchante Journals, The, Volume 4 (book)

2009-01-28T18:46:57Z

The Enchante Journals, Volume 4 (book) moved to Enchante Journals, The, Volume 4 (book)

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Maintenance script: Wikified

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Wikified

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		⚫	===The Enchante Journals: A Chronicle of Music and Magic===
	{{WikifyBook}}
		⚫	''By [[Elesigis Arilafrei]]''
	===The Enchante Journals===
⚫	===A Chronicle of Music and Magic===
⚫	By Elesigis Arilafrei

	~~'''~~Introduction~~'''~~		==Introduction==

	Bards are the storytellers and lorekeepers of the		Bards are the storytellers and lorekeepers of the
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	played major roles...		played major roles...

⚫	~~'''~~Volume IV~~'''~~

		⚫	==Volume IV==
	****************

	The Velaka Desert is a place of immense elemental		The [[Velaka Desert]] is a place of immense elemental
	power. Few places on the ~~Kermorian~~ continent can		power. Few places on the [[Kermoria]]n continent can
	boast of such an intense presence of Air, Fire,		boast of such an intense presence of Air, Fire,
	Earth, and even Aether energies. So it should come		Earth, and even Aether energies. So it should come
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	Guild what it is today.		Guild what it is today.

	In the city of Muspar'i itself, one has merely to		In the city of [[Muspar'i]] itself, one has merely to
	walk down the colorful and much adorned streets and		walk down the colorful and much adorned streets and
	squares to see the influence Bards have had on it...		squares to see the influence Bards have had on it...
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	beyond the desert, to Bards far and wide.		beyond the desert, to Bards far and wide.

	****************		<nowiki>****************</nowiki>

	HighHold, the mighty citadel that once served as the		HighHold, the mighty citadel that once served as the
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	the Bards of Adamantia was lost to the mists of time.		the Bards of Adamantia was lost to the mists of time.

	****************		<nowiki>****************</nowiki>

	Our chronicles of Bardic magic are continued in the		Our chronicles of Bardic magic are continued in the
	next volume.		[[The Enchante Journals, Volume 5 (book)\|next volume]].

	By my hand,		By my hand,<br>
	Elesigis Arilafrei		[[Elesigis Arilafrei]]
	[[Category:Book]]		[[Category:Book]]

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			{{WikifyBook}}
	==The Enchante Journals==		===The Enchante Journals===
	===A Chronicle of Music and Magic===		===A Chronicle of Music and Magic===
	By Elesigis Arilafrei		By Elesigis Arilafrei

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Maintenance script: New page: ==The Enchante Journals== ===A Chronicle of Music and Magic=== By Elesigis Arilafrei '''Introduction''' Bards are the storytellers and lorekeepers of ...

2007-05-05T23:43:32Z

New page: ==The Enchante Journals== ===A Chronicle of Music and Magic=== By Elesigis Arilafrei '''Introduction''' Bards are the storytellers and lorekeepers of ...

New page

==The Enchante Journals==
===A Chronicle of Music and Magic===
By Elesigis Arilafrei

'''Introduction'''

Bards are the storytellers and lorekeepers of the
land, but too often we have forgotten the truths of
our own past. There are fascinating tales behind the
music and magic that so defines what and who we are
as Bards; tales largely unknown. For that reason, my
companions and I have taken it upon ourselves to
create these chronicles, what we have called the
"Enchante Journals."

In this endeavor, this vast undertaking, I have been
aided by the following noble Bards: Hildart Sverul,
craftsman of Hibarnhvidar and master of the Dwarven
epics; Nereeth Gethaelt, wandering singer and
performer and entertainer of children; Endirek
Chydaku, of the Order of Kalodi. In this volume of
our chronicles, we look at the Bards of the Velakan
Desert, and the fallen city of HighHold -- two places
where our ancient enemies, the Dragon Priests, have
played major roles...

'''Volume IV'''

****************

The Velaka Desert is a place of immense elemental
power. Few places on the Kermorian continent can
boast of such an intense presence of Air, Fire,
Earth, and even Aether energies. So it should come
as no surprise that some of the most famed and
legendary Bards and Warrior Mages have come from this
vast expanse -- the desert virtually breeds elemental
masters; from Alhaani and Archmage Hh'reshh, two of the most
fabled Warrior Mages, to Urisaar the Gold and
Kahishu, Bards who have, on epic levels, made our
Guild what it is today.

In the city of Muspar'i itself, one has merely to
walk down the colorful and much adorned streets and
squares to see the influence Bards have had on it...
the Street of Performers, where the city's citizens
gather to watch jugglers and hear fabulous yarns and
watch dancers and singers; the Heketha Square, with
its grand Bard Guildhall and its theater catering to
the desires of Kermoria's wealthiest to see the magic
that only the finest Bards can work; the Street of
Instrument Makers, lined with shops and stalls and
peddlers displaying their musical finery, their
exotic instruments from which waft the most stunning
sounds... it is a city where music, and Bards
especially, have had a profound impact.

But just as Muspar'i has thrived on Bards, so have
Bards thrived on Muspar'i. For thanks to its
emphasis on the Bardic arts and its overabundance of
raw elemental energy, it has been a hotbed (no pun
intended) of advances and progress in musical magic.
The people of the city have incorporated the magic of
the enchante into their regular way of life, and it
has helped them cope with some of the harsh realities
of the desert -- through the necessities given them,
the difficult situations they have encountered, these
people have been forced to become creative with their
magic, developing new applications for it. As a
result, the number of enchantes has grown.

The two most prominent gifts from Muspar'i to Bardic
magic are the enchantes "Drums of the Snake" and
"Desert's Maelstrom."

The "Drums of the Snake" has long been used by
Velakan Bards as a way to move more efficiently and
safely through the desert. Bards have often been
used as members of hunting, trapping, or trade
parties thanks to this magic, which is integral in
many areas quite simply unsafe to traverse without
the survivalist magic. The song seeks to emulate the
particular feel of S'Kra Mur song and dance... like
the S'Kra Mur people, their dance and song have a
rhythmic, sinuous, languorous quality to them. The
enchante takes that melody, that movement, and
enhances it with magic, granting a similar serpentine
power to move the body and limbs to those who listen
to its sound.

There is no real precise history behind Drums of the
Snake... no single Bard responsible for its
origination. The styles of dance and song upon which
the enchante is based are integral in the S'Kra Mur
culture, down to its very roots, and have been a part
of the race's heritage long beyond the point of
historical memory. The enchante, really, was
something that came into being naturally, rather than
through experimentation or a desire to find a method
of using magic to accomplish a specific set of goals.

So while we cannot pinpoint a certain single Bard or
a specific timeframe in which we developed this
power, we can lay the thanks for its creation at the
feet of Muspar'i. As time gradually went by, the
songs and movements so much a part of this city's
culture took on a power that eventually became the
enchante we use to this day.

The second enchante, "Desert's Maelstrom," is of
course, a far more powerful and devastating piece of
music. Where Drums of the Snake had a natural
evolution and has been mainly employed for
utilitarian and protective means, "Desert's
Maelstrom" was devised purely as a tool for war.

When the armies of the Dragon Priests crossed the
Velaka Desert to absorb within its empire the S'Kra
city of Muspar'i, most of the citizenry was content
to allow history take its course -- after all,
despite the general uneasiness, if not downright
disgust, that the wealthy and educated Musparans felt
toward the goals and methods of the Priests, they all
did share common bonds. The World Dragon was
worshipped widely in Velaka as well, and after all,
they were of one race. Not to mention that Muspar'i
was not a state known for its military influence...
it was a city of merchants and artists and scholars,
unprepared to halt the onslaught of the Dragon
Priests.

But the Bards of Muspar'i were not quite so content
to roll over before the marching armies of Dzree.
Emboldened by the courageous self-sacrifice of the
greatest of their number, Kahishu, who stood alone
before the gates of the city and made the entire Army
of the Dragon tremble, who single-handedly visited
chaotic destruction upon the forces of Dzree, only to
meet his own death soon after... the Bards decided
to fight.

While individually they had not the truly awesome
power of Kahishu, they were still far from weak. And
not to mention that they had the power of the Velaka
Desert on their side as well!

Following Kahishu's death, the Dragon Priest army
slowly began to pull itself together again to prepare
to march on the gates of the city anew. They were
still in something of a state of disarray, though --
Kahishu's attack had struck them hard.

The Bards of the city stood upon its walls, and
called out to the power of the elements. Their songs
joining in unison, they summoned the winds and the
fiery sands of the desert to strike their foes. Huge
storms began swirling across the desert, its sands
striking at the Dragon Priests and their monsters,
battering them back. It was as though Velaka itself
sought to wipe out Dzree's invaders.

Valiant though their effort was, the Bards of
Muspar'i were never enough to hold back the amassed
might of Dzree. The army reformed, and slowly but
surely began progressing again toward the gates, its
assault renewed. Though arrows were ineffective, the
priest army also had powerful magic on its side, and
they began to attack the Bards upon the walls. Quite
a few lost their lives that day, but not most of them
-- most of them lived, either hiding out in the city,
or fleeing to their second home, the desert itself.

Never again has such an impressive display of the
Desert's Maelstrom been seen, and it likely never
will be seen again. But it is still a powerful and
useful enchante, and remains used -- many desert
hunters use its powers to trap wild yeehar and bring
them to the city. And with the reunification of the
Bard Guild, knowledge of the enchante has spread
beyond the desert, to Bards far and wide.

****************

HighHold, the mighty citadel that once served as the
capital of all Dwarfendom, was famed for its ability
to craft stone and gems, in addition to its more
famous reputation as the most impregnable and
untakable fortress ever constructed. Even once it
ruled no longer as the capital city of every
Kermorian Dwarf, it still remained the center, the
seat of power, of the mighty nation of Adamantia...
now, regrettably, fallen.

But few beyond the most diligent keepers of lost lore
are aware that much of their skill with the craft was
due to the Dwarven Bards that would aid the
gemcutters. Fewer still recognize that it was not
the song you would expect, Muse's Inspiration, which
lent them their talent -- it was actually the
ancestor of the enchante we know today as the "Eye of
Kertigen."

At its height, HighHold was well known in many
circles for the power its Bards possessed, the
ability to give listeners eyes as sharp as Kertigen's
himself, eyes that could detect even the most
miniscule and invisible flaw in a rock or a gemstone.

The slightest crack, the smallest fracture, a spot, a
lack of purity, the most minute imperfection... they
were all visible with glaring clarity when one was
under the effects of Kertigen's Eye.

Many other Bards knew that those in HighHold held
this valuable power... but regrettably, the Bards of
HighHold were as stingy with their knowledge as the
rest of HighHold was reclusive and xenophobic.
Throughout the years, many a Bard would journey to
the great city-keep, seeking to learn the secret of
the magics that allowed the HighHold Bards to perform
their miracles. But every visitor was rebuffed.
Even other Dwarven Bards, from Kwarlog and
Hibarnhvidar and other settlements, were refused
their requests to learn the enchante's workings.

With this total lack of cooperation by the Bards of
HighHold, many attempts were made by other Bards
throughout Kermoria to replicate the magic's effects,
attempts at devising enchante matrices that would
function in a similar manner to whatever the
Adamantians used. But no luck. No one was ever able
to duplicate that unique effect of analyzing rocks
and gems and the earth itself.

HighHold had stood since the birth of civilization
itself; it had reigned from the moment the gods first
placed mortals upon our world of Elanthia. And the
people... not just in HighHold, but everywhere,
expected that the fortress would stand forever. But
it didn't. No one ever successfully beat this city
in a siege; no one ever took the hold by force. But
it was through the genius of the Dragon Priests that
HighHold was finally felled. Other storytellers can
weave this tell better than I can... my main
concern, of course, is the fate of the magics that
they had kept secret there.

As the land crumbled around HighHold, and as the city
itself slowly withered away, the people finally
realized the simple fact that their once great
fortress was no more, and would soon be nothing but
dust. Many, at that realization, attempted to flee
through the Dark Hand that Empress Dzree had
created... but few of the Adamantian Dwarves ever
made it past that boundary alive.

One Bard did, though. He did make it out of the Dark
Hand, to a small Elothean refuge village on the
outskirts of Ilithi (a conquered realm of the
Priests). However, though he may have been alive, he
was still not long for the world... he had made it
out of the Dark Hand, but barely. The Bard was
critically wounded. Dying.

I do not know why, with his last breath, he chose to
sing the song of Kertigen's Eye to the villagers who
had taken him in. The Dwarves are creators,
craftsmen who build things to last an eternity. He
had seen the destruction of the Indestructible Keep
that all thought would last until the end of time.
And perhaps, seeing that, he sought to preserve
something of the legacy they had created. Perhaps
that one Dwarf wished that something his people
created DID live on.

But it was not to be. He sang, with his last
breaths, Kertigen's Eye, but he never finished the
song. His wounds were too grievous, and as he sang,
the blood bubbled up from his throat into his mouth.
Before he could complete the enchante, he had fallen
to the ground, dead.

The melody he sang was incomplete, and an Elven Bard
who had also been staying in that isolated village
attempted to finish it, building upon what the Dwarf
had completed. He tried a number of endings to the
song, but none of them resulted in the stone-seeing
power of the original version. But he did finally
devise one complete enchante which altered the way he
saw entirely, greatly increasing his vision and even
allowing him to perceive that which was not visible
to the eyes at all.

That is the version of the enchante we use today.
Some would say the song we use is more powerful, even
better, than that which the Adamantian Dwarves had.
Others would argue that point. But it is irrelevant
either way. Though many Bards have, since the fall
of HighHold, attempted to create the ending of the
song that allowed the Dwarves the stonesight, none
have been able to replicate the exact enchante that
the HighHolders used. It is likely we never will.
Despite the efforts of one dying man, the legacy of
the Bards of Adamantia was lost to the mists of time.

****************

Our chronicles of Bardic magic are continued in the
next volume.

By my hand,
Elesigis Arilafrei
[[Category:Book]]